


Useful

by UniverseInk



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Parent Ra's al Ghul, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Batfamily, Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Ra's is a bastard but Tim is a good brother, technically bad grandparent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26857387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniverseInk/pseuds/UniverseInk
Summary: “That is enough,” Ra’s commands, and the ninjas fall back.Tim whirls around to face him, only to freeze in his tracks. Ra’s has Damian in a vice-like grip, a wickedly sharp dagger pressed against his throat.“Now, Timothy,” he says. His tone is conversational, like he’s not about to use his grandson’s life as a bargaining chip. “Let’s not draw this out any longer than necessary.”Ra's offers Tim an impossible choice: agree to join the League of Assassins as his heir, or watch his little brother dieBad Things Happen Bingo: More expendable than you
Relationships: Tim Drake & Damian Wayne
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914772
Comments: 21
Kudos: 312





	Useful

**Author's Note:**

> TWs: threats of death, vague references to sexual assault (that will only be recognizable as that if you're familiar with the canon event)
> 
> This was inspired by an anon on tumblr, who asked for this prompt with Tim and Damian. I went back and forth on how to configure the characters within the prompt, and this is what I settled on. I hope you like it :)

Tim should have known this was a set-up. If he’d bothered to look into it further, he would have seen the telltale signs of Ra’s setting a trap. But he didn’t, and now he’s surrounded by ninjas.

In his defense, he really thought Ra’s was done trying to recruit him. 

“That is enough,” Ra’s commands, and the ninjas fall back. 

Tim whirls around to face him, only to freeze in his tracks. Ra’s has Damian in a vice-like grip, a wickedly sharp dagger pressed against his throat.

“Now, Timothy,” he says. His tone is conversational, like he’s not about to use his grandson’s life as a bargaining chip. “Let’s not draw this out any longer than necessary.”

“Let him go,” Tim growls. “Then we can talk.”

Ra’s sighs like a put-upon parent. “That would defeat the whole point of taking a hostage. We both know the moment I let Damian go the both of you will disappear into the night.” He clicks his tongue. “An unfortunate habit you both picked up from Batman.”

Tim narrows his eyes. “And you think threatening Damian is going to make me loyal to you?”

“No,” Ra’s admits. “But it will make you come with me. You Bats are so devoted, after all. We can work from there.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Tim snarls. After everything Ra’s has done to his family, after kicking Tim out a window, after _Paris_ , he still thinks he can make Tim his heir. 

“Oh?” Ra’s lifts an eyebrow. “I suppose I should just dispatch Damian right now, then.” The blade presses against Damian’s throat, forcing him to crane his neck. Tim can see his chest heaving while he fights to keep his panicked breathing in check.

“You won’t kill him,” he says.

“I won’t.” Ra’s hums. “And why is that?”

“He’s still useful to you.” Tim is grasping at straws here, but he has to find a way out of this. “If you can’t break me you’ll still need an heir.”

Ra’s laughs. “The boy has proven to be easily swayed by emotion, abandoning his training just because a trumped-up circus brat showed him affection.”

In Ra’s’ grip, Damian snarls. Even with his life on the line, he can’t forgive a slight against Dick. 

“While it’s true he may have some potential use,” Ra’s continues, “it would take a great deal more effort to mold him into an heir than he’s worth.” He sighs. “It’s really just a case of unfortunate timing on his part. I don’t want to kill him, he’s simply far more expendable than you are.”

Tim watches Damian’s shoulders fall as he processes that statement, and a wave of anger crashes over him.

“If you kill him,” Tim growls, “it will be the end of you.”

“Oh?” Ra’s says, a smirk playing across his lips. “Explain your reasoning, Detective.”

“You kill him and you’ll have every single Bat chasing you, with one goal in mind: taking you down.” Tim’s fists clench around his bo staff. “And maybe Batman won’t kill you, and maybe he’ll try and stop the others. But he won’t be able to stop Nightwing on a warpath.” Tim grins, wide and feral. “And with Red Hood as backup, he’ll put a _permanent_ end to your immortality.”

Ra’s narrows his eyes, but Tim barrels on.

“We will hunt you down, and we will destroy you, because _he is not expendable to us_.”

The night air has gone eerily still. Everyone can feel the shift in the atmosphere, that Tim has gone from target to threat. Tension builds, ready to snap at the slightest provocation.

Tim straightens up, forcing his shoulders to relax and adopting a casual demeanor. “Of course, that’s all a moot point, because Talia will kill you before we can even get there.”

“My daughter is loyal to me, not her traitor son,” Ra’s says. His eyes are still narrowed, Tim can practically see the wheels turning in his head. 

Tim scoffs. “Talia’s loyalty to you is hanging by a thread and everyone knows it. You kill her child, that thread snaps.”

There’s a heartstopping moment of contemplation, where Tim’s not sure he’s made the right argument. 

“Well,” Ra’s grits out, “it seems you have outmaneuvered me again.” He releases Damian, shoving him toward Tim. “Take the brat, if he really means that much to you.”

Damian stumbles forward, and in the moment it takes from Tim to steady him, Ra’s and his ninjas vanish. Tim heaves a sigh, holding Damian by the shoulders.

“You hurt?” he asks.

“I am fine,” Damian mutters. “The blade did not even pierce my skin.”

Tim huffs. “Good. Now let’s get the fuck out of here before he changes his mind. “ He leads the way back to the Batmobile they’d arrived in, Damian trailing behind him. When they get there, he climbs into the passenger seat without argument. 

Tim eyes him from his peripherals as he drives. Damian is slumped in his seat, scowling out the passenger window. For once, he actually looks like a kid.

“I meant it,” Tim says, breaking the silence. “You’re not expendable.”

“Of course I’m not,” Damian snaps. He continues in a more subdued tone. “None of us are, and I have seen the lengths you all will go to for this family.”

“Right.”

“Grandfather, on the other hand, does not agree.” Damian slumps down even further. “I am no longer useful to him.”

Tim’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Being useful to Ra’s al Ghul never leads to anything good.” He takes a deep breath, mentally shaking off the memory of the catacombs under Paris. “But you already know that.”

Damain nods.

“And besides,” Tim continues, “anyone who only wants you around because of what you can give them, or for what you can do for them, doesn’t deserve you.”

“Careful,” Damian says dryly. “You’re starting to sound fond of me.”

Tim rolls his eyes. “I was speaking generally, brat.”

“Of course,” Damian drawls. “I suppose your generalized encouragement is appreciated.”

“Good,” Tim laughs. “Cause this is getting painful. Next time you need a pep talk, ask Dick.”

“I really should.” Damian smirks. “He is much better at them.”

“Hey, fuck you!” Tim pouts. “That was great pep talk.”

“Sure, if you insist.” Damians’s smirk grows into a shit-eating grin.

“I _will_ make you walk home,” Tim threatens.

Damian crosses his arms and settles back into his seat, but the atmosphere has settled, and they drive the rest of the way back to the cave in comfortable silence. When they get there, Damian stops him before they get out.

“Thank you,” he says. “For saving my life.”

“Of course,” Tim nods, face serious. “I know we’re not exactly model siblings, but you’re still my little brother. That means I look out for you.”

Damian smiles, a small, genuine thing. “I suppose you aren’t so much worse than Richard at this after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr @merc--ury (main) or @transrobins (batfam/dc)
> 
> Please comment or leave a kudos if you liked this


End file.
